Patrick Jones Baseball

Tyler Zombro is a professional pitcher who spent several years in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. In 2019 he was named minor league reliever of the year. Even though he is a professional pitcher, Tyler is also a full-time employee of Tread Athletics. A company that trains pitchers remotely. In this episode, we talk about Tyler's personal development and what he's seen work in developing pitchers and what hasn't. If you love pitching, you will love this episode.Timestamps for Tyler Zombro [7:15] The Difference Between the Best of the Best Pitchers[8:44] Teaching Execution [9:43] Mindset during Pitching [12:44] Increasing Velocity[13:44] Dealing with Injuries [21:24] The biggest transition from the college game to the pro game[22:51] Advice to Hitters from a Pitcher [28:23 ] Tread Athletics [31:05] Focusing on what players are good at[33:09] Things to Improve upon as a Coach[34:21] The Plan[41:25] Transparency and Accountability at Tread [43:31 Tread Vision [44:47] Hirin

In today's episode, we're talking about the 'thing' that has ended careers. The word that nobody wants to say out loud in a clubhouse. We're talking about beating the yips. Today's guest is Jason Kuhn, a former college pitcher whose career ended when he got the Yips. Devasted, he wanted to prove to himself that he was mentally tough. So he decided to become a Navy Seal. After he served, he came back to the United States and started working with pitchers who were dealing with the same issue that ended his career. He has had a ton of success and has been featured in Sports Illustrated for his work with Tyler Matzek.Timestamps [5:40] Transformative Power of Overcoming Challenges[7:48] Advice to Younger Self[12:34] Team First Mentality[19:59] Cause and Effect[20:34] The Danger Zone[22:09] Root Cause of Yips[29:26] The Lack of Arm Strength Development in Most Programs[31:56] Coaching Players Who Struggle to the Yips [48:59] The Comprehensive Solution to the Yips[50:12] The Time Frame of Removing the Tension[

Travel Softball can feel like a maze to families. Which tournaments should you attend? What team should you play on? When should you start playing travel softball? This week I sit down with Texas Glory assistant coach Mike Zimmer. Mike has coached travel softball for several years and has a daughter going through the recruiting process. Mike also runs the biggest softball Facebook page. If you are affiliated with travel softball, you will love this episode.Timestamps for Mike Zimmer [3:35] Saving money during Travel SoftBall [6:38] Advice to Parents on Picking the Right Team or Coach [11:45] The Fear of Missing Out [13:51] Making Travel SoftBall More Affordable for kids [16:47] Taking Control of the Recruiting Process[22:46] Avoiding Bias for Parents who Coach [29:29] The Lack of  Arm Strength Development in Most Programs [33:52] The Impact of Hitting [37:19] The Mental Side of The Game [39:49] Dealing with Failure [42:20] The Facebook Community Coaching

Patrick Jones @pjonesbaseball is joined by Tom House @tomhouse this week. Tom House doesn't need much of an introduction. He has been involved with baseball for over 40 years. After his MLB pitcher career ended, he decided to take up coaching and became an MLB pitching coach. He had such a big impact that Nolan Ryan mentioned him in his hall of fame speech as someone who made a massive impact on his career. After coaching at the MLB level, Tom decided he could impact more players working in the private sector. It wasn't just pitchers that sought to work with Tom. NFL quarterbacks also wanted to spend time with him; Tom Brady and Drew Brees are among the few quarterbacks who worked with Tom over the years. To help as many pitchers as possible, Tom recently built a pitching app called Mustard app. A pitcher can take a video of themselves throwing, and with artificial intelligence, they will immediately be sent back a report on what they need to work on and drills specific for them. If you love pitching, you wil

Patrick Jones @pjonesbaseball is joined by Kurt Elbin @elbin_kurt this week. Kurt is the recruiting coordinator and associate head coach at Virginia Tech University. He has coached at division 3 and division 2 levels of college baseball. Prior to Virginia Tech, he was at Virginia Commonwealth University, coaching under Shawn Stiffler who was recently on the podcast. In this episode Kurt opens up about his philosophy on developing hitters in his program, how he's evolved over time, recruiting, and gives advice to coaches who one day want to coach at the Power 5 level.Timestamps[3:32] Unconventional Techniques[4:30] Changing Up The Variables for Players[11:22] The Team’s Game Plan[15:14] Virginia Tech’s Reputation[18:17]Helping Players with The Mental Side of the Game[21:54] The Significance of the Recruitment Process[29:58] Identifying Great Players[33:07] Learning from Coaching Mistakes and Proud Moments[36:57] The Pitch Clock[40:32Typical Coaching Day[46:19] Advice for Younger CoachesFollow Kurt ElbinTwitter

Chad Miller is the Co-Founder of the Louisville Slugger Science Hitting Center. Chad works with players at every level of the game and is a consultant to several MLB organizations. He is on the cutting edge of technology in hitting, and In this episode, we talk about some of the things that Chad walks us through in his evaluation process. We get into bat fitting, force plates, technology, and his vision for the future of hitting development.Timestamps[2:37] Common Hitting Traits that Need Improvement[11:00] The Importance of Balance in a Player’s Hitting process[13:23] The Importance of Ground Work in a Player's Hitting Process[17:17] The Value of Technology in Coaching[25:49] Key Takeaways from Bat Fitting: Improving Player Performance Through Proper Equipment[34:10] Chad Miller’s Long-Term Vision[35:51] Common Mistakes of Baseball Coaches[39:12] Handling a Player’s Training Feedback[42:35] Choosing the Perfect Equipment for a Baseball Player[45:28] Thoughts on Blast MotionFollow Chad Miller's Twitter:

This week we welcome the head baseball coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Shawn Stiffler. This season, 2023, is Shawn's first year as the head coach at Notre Dame. Previously he was the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University. In this episode, we talk about all good head coaches' traits, how to run an organized practice, and how Shawn has changed over his coaching career. [2:28] The Most Important Quality of a Head Coach[4:38] Communication Skills[8:17] Structuring Baseball Practices[9:28] Developing Hitters[17:44] Advice for Young Coaches[23:47] Staff Hiring[26:29] Gut Feeling VS Analytics[41:36] Adapting to the Transfer PortalFollow Shawn StifflerTwitter: @ShawnStiffler29 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we welcome one of the best coaches I have heard speak on the mental side of the game, Andy Mckay. Andy is currently the Assistant GM for the Seattle Mariners. In this episode, we talk about goal setting, preparing for failure, and why as a coach, you should be coaching a player's response and not their result.Time Stamps[6:04] The Importance of Long-Term and Short-Term Goals for Players[11:41] Key Focus Areas for Mental development[19:04] Helping players Prepare for Failure[26:07] Coaching the Response not the Result[29:47] Changing the Pitching Approach[37:24] Knowing a Player, Process Beyond the Data[40:41] Strategies for Helping Players Overcome the Fear of Failure[49:25] Realizations throughout Andy’s Coaching Career[51:35] The Qualities and Practices that Make a Great Baseball Coach [54:04] Quantifying the Impact and Progress of Baseball CoachesFollow Andy Mckay on Twitter: @AndyMcKayHG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, we welcome Jason Mills. Jason is the head coach for DH Conley High School, pitching coach for the Canes 17u National, scout for the New York Mets, President of the North Carolina baseball coaches association, and a high school chemistry teacher. This episode discusses developing high school pitchers in a team setting. If you enjoy this episode, please share it with someone you think would like to listen.Timestamps[2:18] Weekly Activities to Reach Your Potential: A Guide for Maximum Growth and Success[4:52] Role of a strength coach in high school baseball[13:15] Pitch Counts[20:25] Year-Round Throwing[28:48] Scouting pitchers[40:30] Framework for developing pitches[44:33] The risks and benefits of throwing breaking ballsIf you haven't, please leave us a review on iTunesFollow Jason MillsTwitter: @dhcbaseball Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, my guest is Patrick Murphy, Head Softball Coach at The University of Alabama. His staff has been named NFCA south regional staff of the year 11x, including national staff of the year in 2012, he’s in the Alabama sports hall of fame, and in 2012 the Alabama Crimson Tide won the National Championship. More importantly, Coach Murphy is a good person who cares about his players. I visited him this past fall at the University of Alabama and was blown away by how well his program is run. In today’s episode, we talk about how to build a program, college recruiting and developing players on and off the field.Timestamps[3:50] Strategies for Involving Parents and Players[14:24] The Three C’s[17:10] Building a Strong Culture [24:45] Strategies for Handling Discussions about Playing Time[29:31] Dealing with Failure[30:21] The Impact of the Transfer Portal on College Athletics[34:52] Personal and Professional Development for Coaches Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa

On today's episode, my guest is Jon Watson, and we dive into the world of Junior College baseball. Jon is currently the head coach at Chandler Gilbert Community College in Arizona. He has a wealth of experience as an assistant coach at the JUCO level and now as a head coach. We talk about who JUCO baseball is for and why you should consider it if you're a high school baseball player.Timestamps[5:37] Time management strategies for game days [9:01] JUCO recruitment[19:44] Undiscovered talent in JUCO[23:51] Perception of transferring from JUCO[26:16] Reasons for attending JUCO[37:19] JUCO success storiesFollow Jon WatsonTwitter: @Jonwatson36 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, my guest is Aaron Longenecker. Aaron is currently the hitting coach for the Souther Mississippi softball team. Aaron spent 20 years as a United States secret service agent before becoming a softball coach. In this episode, Aaron explains his process in developing hitters at Southern Miss, how he uses Twitter as a recruiting tool, and how his previous career in the secret service helps him today as a coach.  Timestamps[3:57] Transition from US Secret Service Agent to Hitting Coach.[5:49] Aaron's baseball past before joining the US Secret Service.[6:38] The coaching itch during his college and early career.[9:16] The impact of Hal Mcray on Aaron Longenecker's baseball journey.[11:07] The Thought process behind Aaron Longenecker's Coaching Career. [12:16] The appeal of softball over other sports.[15:20] Recruiting process in travel softball.[17:26] Suggestions for enhancing the travel softball experience.[18:44] Identifying potential players to rec

On today's episode, my guest is Chase Gerbrick. Chase is a freshman at Lipscomb. He talks about what his first fall ball was like. He also talked about his life as a college baseball player and how he got recruited to play at Lipscomb. Chase has a great recruiting story. He also talked about what you need to do to put yourself in a position to get recruited.Timestamps[3:16] Insights on college baseball experience[4:29] Hard adjustments in college baseball experience[9:08] The role of pre-college development in college baseball performance.[12:59] Differences in bat speed between high school and college baseball[18:34]Chase Gerbrick's Pursuit of Excellence in D1 Baseball[19:27] Understanding Chase Gerbrick’s Goals and Plans in Baseball[21:19] Looking at Chase Gerbrick’s Recruitment process[25:09] Biggest Misconceptions in College Baseball Recruitment process[34:25] Factors to consider when choosing a college baseball school[38:12] Determining the Best Fit for Immediate Playing Opportunities[43:49] Looking Ahea

On today's episode, my guest is Krista Stoker. Krista is the co-founder of S2 Breakthrough, which is a data-driven softball player development facility. They're focusing on player development for softball players, but they're using data-driven methods and research. They are working to apply data and research to their methods to develop softball, pitchers, and hitters.Timestamps[13:51] The Idea Behind S2 Breakthrough Programs [15:44] Recruitment Process of S2 Breakthrough[19:29] Funding and resource Limitations for Softball Development Centers [23:25] Effective use of training techniques for young players to reach their potential[27:06] The importance of Pitch Counts on the development of young players [33:08] The similarities and differences between hitting and pitching in softball [34:29] Katie Stewart’s hitting success [38:40] The scale of S2 Breakthrough’s athlete training program [39:05] The future of growth and expansion of S2 BreakthroughFollow Krista Stoker www.s2brea

In today's episode, We talk about Brett Caroll. Brett recently started a travel baseball organization in Knoxville Tennessee, BC Athletics. They offer Post grad programs and travel baseball. Brett gives his Insights and lessons from the recruiting process. Brett also shares his experience as a professional baseball player in the Major League.Timestamps[2:59] Former pro baseball player reflects on career and future goals.[4:59] Life after career and moving forward.[7:08] Advice for the player you once were.[8:25] Examples of process-driven goals and how to focus on them.[11:33] The greatest moment of Brett’s playing career.[21:13] Insights and lessons learned from the recruiting process[23:59] An introduction to postgrad: what it is and why it matters.[28:38] Travel Baseball.Follow Brett CarollInstagram: bc_athletics_knoxTwitter: Bc_Athletics_Website: www.bcathleticsknox.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, we talk to Ryan Westmoreland. More than 10 years ago, Ryan was the Boston Red Sox Top prospect. He was drafted out of high school and was signed with Vanderbilt University. However, due to unfortunate health issues, his career was cut short. Nevertheless,  he started coaching and helping high school and college players. In this episode, Ryan talks about how his day-to-day routine as a coach and what system he usually adhere to when working with players. He also shares his thoughts and opinions regarding analytics and technology in baseball as well as in helping players with their movement and mechanics. Ryan also talks about his past experiences in getting recruited for college and how he dealt with his unfortunate health issues.Timestamps[4:14] Daily coaching routine[5:07] System used when working with players[6:34] Opinion on analytics and technology in baseball from a coaching standpoint[9:05] Thoughts on helping players move better and have better mechanics[12:04] Time management[

In this episode, I talk to Ryan Brownlee. Ryan is a former college coach for 20 years at the Division 1 level. He has been a head coach and also a recruiting coordinator. He is currently working for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Ryan shares his relationship with his dad, who had coached him at Evansville. He also talks about how he helps college baseball players manage their time. He mentions in this episode the system that he used when he was a coach that was very beneficial and valuable for players at any level.Timestamps:[4:13] Experiences in a father-son relationship.[7:31] Advice to coaches coaching their children.[9:05] Thoughts on the transfer portal.[15:38] Recommended grade for a player to commit to college.[18:26] Helping kids with time management.[26:39] Things to improve in coaches at younger levels.[30:39] Thoughts on travel baseball.[33:40] Things to look for when recruiting players.[40:04] Best way to reach out to Ryan Brownlee.Twitter:@CoachB_ABCA Hosted on Acast. See acast

In today’s episode, we talk to Aaron Clopton. Aaron is currently an assistant softball coach at Indiana University. He may have been in softball for over 20 years, but he also has done stuff outside softball like serving the military, being a professor, and engaging in real estate. In this episode, Aaron shares his journey and experiences in being a softball coach. He also talks about what parents should do to help their children in achieving what they want to achieve. With his years of experience in softball, he shares life advice to young coaches.  Timestamp[2:43] Journey behind the success of Aaron Clopton.[6:34] Aaron Clopton’s advice to a young coach. [8:16] Life after coaching at Kansas. [13:44] Differences from a pitching development in 2008 vs today. [15:57] Mistakes seen in high school kids from a development standpoint. [19:41] Things th

In this episode, we talk to Jacob Nix. Jacob is a pitcher in the San Diego Padres organization. Throughout his journey in being a professional baseball, he experienced a lot of challenges, struggles, and injuries in which he shares these experiences in this episode. He also shares what he had encountered during drafting and how he struggled with the yips. With his experiences, he gives great tips to players who are going through the same way he had gone through.Time Stamps[2:00] Different challenges and struggles faced by Jacob Nix.[4:57] Going back to playing baseball after going through a series of injuries.[7:31] Experiencing a series of injuries and surgeries once more.[10:28] Getting cleared to play once more in the field.[12:32] Undergoing rehabilitation.[13:55] Being on the roster for the game.[16:05] Jacob Nix’s experience of getting drafted.[25:21] Applying to different colleges.[30:18] Getting the sense back into the game.[36:25] Things Jacob Nix learned about himself and pitching.[39:15] Tips that

In this week's episode, we talk to Caleb Longley. Caleb was formerly a hitting coach at Arizona State University. Now, he is currently coaching at the University of Texas. Caleb shares excellent insights into what he has been doing from a development standpoint. He also talks about what he is looking for from a recruiting aspect. Aside from being a hitting coach, he has his own business called Marv Training. This company has excellent products that help a lot of hitters and pitchers with their training.Time stamps[1:01] Something new in Caleb Longley’s life.[1:44] Structuring to becoming a college coach.[4:29] Lessons learned in the past year working with players.[5:46] Lessons from the mental side of the game.[6:34] Lessons from being a college coach.[16:39] Being a relentless competitor mean.[19:19] What are you looking for when recruiting players?[21:47] Common flaws from a high school player standpoint.[25:01] Things that helped hitters who had issues.[26:28] Time spent with players during the fall.[28:27